The Fateful Duel
by Flameofdeath
Summary: Ever wonder what happened DURING that fateful duel bw Sirius and Bellatrix? Read to find out! RxR please!


"The Fateful Duel"

Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me. If it did, we would have RemusxSirius throughout the WHOLE thing!!! 

"Harry, take the prophecy, grab Neville and run!" Sirius yelled. He had just seen Tonks fall limply down the stone stairway, unconscious. At least, he hoped she was unconscious. When it came to dear old Bella, there was no way of knowing. Taking a few seconds to see that Harry followed his instruction, Sirius dashed toward Bellatrix. _"Expelliarmus!"_ he roared, causing his surprised cousin to fly back a few feet. He held his want at the ready, knowing that she would not reuse his ever-so-blunt invitation for a duel.

Sure enough, he was right. Bellatrix got to her feet and quickly rose to the dais, to have the advantage of height over Sirius, while shouting at him. Jets of light came hurtling towards him, all of which he dodged with ease. Letting out his trademark bark-like laugh, he jumped onto the platform as well, and began dueling, sparks flying rapidly from the tips as she followed suit. How long he yearned for this moment, he wasn't sure. To be able to stare his family in the face and fight them, with the same vigor he did years ago. "Bet you can't get me!" he taunted.

Alright, he spoke too soon. She, in turn, sent a Disarming Spell along his way and knocked him off his feet, causing him to skid to the edge of the dais. Stunned, Sirius only hesitated for perhaps a fraction of a second before grabbing his wand and pelting more spells right back at her. He had forgotten that Bella was one of the best duelists in the family. He was practically asking to get killed by instigating this duel. What was it that Moony told him to do? Keep Harry safe and try not to get into any fights?

As if.

Sirius grinned maniacally. Sure, he always prized Remus's advice, the man did have a knack of being logical as he had never been, nor ever will be. But that still didn't mean he had to _listen_. He did have a reputation to keep up, after all.

Silently, he cursed himself as he barely dodged a jet of green light. He wasn't paying attention! He jabbed his wand out like a sword, a move which James had always said made him look like a puffer fish that had been given a sword. At the thought of James, Sirius began to feel the old instinct to look around and make sure his best mate was alright. Chancing a moment to glance around, he saw a black-haired boy with glasses and cursed. 

Harry. He had to watch out for Harry, not James. James was dead. _James is dead. James is dead_, he repeated in his head. "Looks like you lost interest, dear cousin. Hm...how about a little incentive...?" Bellatrix's annoying voice cut into his thoughts. Staring in horror, he saw her turn her wand at the said young boy, who had just thrown the prophecy to Neville and was struggling against some smarmy git...Malfoy, perhaps?

"NO!" he yelled, striking her wand arm with his wand. She lost balance for only a moment, before she kicked out one foot, causing him clutch his stomach in pain. Within a matter of seconds, however, he was back to the duel with a new vigor. He vaguely thought he saw the Malfoy-idiot smack into the dais. Snorting, he continued to duel with Bellatrix. He could do this. He knew he could. This would be the first of many stands he would make to his family, and the rest of those goddamned Death Eaters. He would kill Bellatrix, and show Dumbledore that he was perfectly capable of taking care of Harry even as a fugitive from the Ministry.

Yes, he would kill her, and all these other bastards that dared touch James and Lily Potter's son. "You or me," Sirius muttered to her. "One of us has to go, Bella!"

"Yes," she agreed, jabbing her wand, nearly missing his neck, "And it'll be YOU!"

He laughed, "You wish!" He ducked under her arm, turning up behind her. Playing this trick a couple of times, he couldn't help but chuckle as the dimwitted cousin of his looked around blindly, unsure of where he was. "Catch me if you can!" he called, running back a little and casting a Stunning Spell. She ducked it, resulting in some other Death Eater behind her getting hit. Oh well, at least he got one of them. 

As he continued to duel with her, Sirius was distantly aware of the fact that a bunch of the Death Eaters were running around like a bunch of barbaric monkeys. Bellatrix seemed to take no note of this, and as he seemed to be coming up on top in the duel, he felt that this was something he'd look into later.

In the meantime, Bellatrix decided to end the 'swordfight' and once again began to pelt hexes at him at the speed of light. Sirius rolled his eyes. Coward. She just didn't want to lose this match. Sure, her forte was casting hexes, but he could take her. Like she would really be able to kill him. That is, as dear Moony and Prongs would always say in the 'good old days', unthinkable.

He was right. Bella wasn't doing that much better in this department. At this rate, he would shish-kabob her. Ducking another Stunning Spell, he laughed loudly and yelled, teasingly, "Come on, you can do better than _that!_"

And she had.

**A/N:** Please comment??? *puppy eyes*


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